How did you learn about Greek life?

[mccoyred]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

I don't want to sound too old (I'm 30+) but I'm noticing that many of the young people today feel a sense of entitlement about everything. This goes back to poor parenting and not preparing children for the world. It's sad but many are in for a rude awakening in many areas of life.

You hit it right on the head. It is a generational thing that is present in everything from eating (fast food) to entertainment (downloaded movies and music) to education (get your degree in just 12-18 months!). Instant gratification is the name of game....

[bomchikawawa]

from looking into colleges to attend, GC of course and GREEK the show hahaha

[icicle22]

Originally Posted by bomchikawawa

from looking into colleges to attend, GC of course and GREEK the show hahaha

GREEK is a rather good show, actually.

[mccoyred]

Originally Posted by icicle22

GREEK is a rather good show, actually.

I guess that I also one of the few people who liked the show...

[sigtau305]

I Learned about Greek Life from a friend of mine while I was attending junior college before I transfer to CSU.

[ThetaPrincess24]

My father iand other family members are greek. The first university I attended also sent me a booklet on greek life as well. Other than that, I learned from watching greeks on campus and reading articles about them in the student paper(there were as many good articles as bad ones). It wasnt until I transferred to another university that I found out greek systems are different at each school.

I've gained some knowledge about other greek systems here on greek chat and I think we all have to a degree. SO many though that come here seeking information fail to consider the source before making decisions.

[DaffyKD]

I joined way back when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. I had no intentions of having anything to do with Greek life and all those "rich, snobby, clicky girls." My father had been in a national fraternity that is now defunct and he never talked about it (I did not know about Kappa Nu until quite a while after I pledged). The first I knew of rush, was when the school sent out a mailing during the summer. It all went directly into the trash. Since my mother and I did not get along, right after a really bad fight, I saw the rush information still sitting in the trash in my room and pulled it out. Included in the information was the fact that there would be one dorm opened a week early for rush, you could move in there during rush provided you rushed and should you drop out of rush, you could remain in the dorm until the other dorms opened. Ok, so I would go to the first day parties, drop out and spend the rest of my time at the beach. Didn't work out that way as I loved KD which was my first house, so I changed my plans, I would stay in rush until KD dropped me which I knew they would since I had no self confidence and had been the least popular person in my entire HS so who would want to pledge me. Well, the rest became history, and I am and have been a KD forever now.


DaffyKD

[GeekyPenguin]

I wanted to rush my freshman year (the last year my school did formal recruitment) because I thought it would be fun to join Theta Phi Alpha since they were a Catholic sorority and hello, penguins! Little did I know they had folded the previous fall. My boyfriend at the time joined SigEp that spring and two different local sororities were trying to convince me to join, but they did so much stupid hazing. I think I was researching hazing laws or something when I tumbled onto GC and then decided I would rush the one NPC left on our campus.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

I'd always heard of greek life from Black GLOs and "A Different World" etc. When I got to college, they gave a presentation on greek life at orientation and all I heard (or remember rather) was "rush a fraternity" which didn't apply to me since I was a girl! I didn't see or know a lot about Greek Life at my school, I went to classes and then went to work honestly.

Then my soon-to-be boyfriend rushed TKE and they hung out with lots of Phi Mus. Then we started dating. Then I met the Phi Mus. That was all the greek I needed to know! (Although I did my research on everything before joining). Rushed my junior year (finally!)

[macallan25]

Just about everyone in my entire family is greek.

I was doing bows & toes in the womb.

[AnchorAlumna]

No such thing as the internet back in the day, when the earth was still cooling. I was the first in my family to go to college. All I knew of sororities were the high school versions. I never even dreamed that I COULD join a sorority until an alumna encouraged me. My mom insisted I go to the local alumnae panhellenic tea, where another alum explained a few things. Learned a little more (mostly misinformation) from my roommate at freshman orientation. Still knew very little when I signed up for open rush (COB) a month after formal rush. Thank God for encouraging alumnae!

[barbino]

Yes, there really was life, and there was Greek life, before the Internet became a defining entity in our society. I knew nothing about sororities until my best friend went to Ohio State University and pledged Alpha Phi there. She came home and told exciting stories about Greek life, and it sounded like fun. The next year I went to the University of Kentucky, went thru rush, and pledged Pi Beta Phi there. The best way to learn about being Greek is to have your own Greek experience by joining a fraternity or sorority.
Books on houses are great - I especially like "Pledged" and "The Divine Nine." I even have read Baird's through the years. Sure, you can read about Greek life, or have a member tell you about it, but there is no substitute for learning on your own by doing. Just do it!!!!
That said, I have learned much by reading posts on Greek Chat. Things change over the years, and GC is an excellent resource for how things are done now. The older GC'ers can tell you all about how it was when we were actives, but Greek life goes on. I like to hear about what fraternities and sororities are doing currently, and not just my own national. It's my natural curiosity, I guess. But there are other ways to find out - I think that some of the larger Panhellenics still have area "informational" meetings for high-school seniors that are considering going thru rush. Each college or university has its own umbrella org.'s over the individual chapters, and they are always a good source of information. It's become too easy to get lazy and let the Internet "do it all." There is a life beyond the Internet!

[knight_shadow]

Most of what I learned about Greek life came from just experiencing things. Neither of my parents were Greek, so I came into college not knowing what to expect. After getting in, I jumped on to several committees (in my GLO, local MGC, NALFO) and attended several leadership retreats with other Greeks. Interacting with everyone has given me the most knowledge.

There were a few magazines and books that I made a point to read, but I can't think of the names right now.

[Sin*ful]

Greeks are not procastinators they are Philosphers......philosphy is their way of thinking that everything on this earth came after them.......I am greek and truthfully that is truth.........we believe that we are the first and last besides God..but that is our thinking and in the Latin somewhat the truth..as you see Alpha Beta schools are in our names of the alphabet..Greek LIfe is embeded in us from birth..but as we get older we attach the new with the old..i.e. church old fashion ...shy old ...attitude new..darn that attitude gonna kills us women..to much attitude causes our greek men now a days to say ohhhhhhhhhhhh hell noooooo..now girls go half way ...our men are beautiful and dont deserve half of what they get ..as much as you think you all that and a bag of chips hell there is one more beautiful WOMAN than you and beauty is not all that now a days ..count on more.......your beauty will get you ONE month and no place else...........THATS GREEK LIFE

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by Sin*ful

Greeks are not procastinators they are Philosphers......philosphy is their way of thinking that everything on this earth came after them.......I am greek and truthfully that is truth.........we believe that we are the first and last besides God..but that is our thinking and in the Latin somewhat the truth..as you see Alpha Beta schools are in our names of the alphabet..Greek LIfe is embeded in us from birth..but as we get older we attach the new with the old..i.e. church old fashion ...shy old ...attitude new..darn that attitude gonna kills us women..to much attitude causes our greek men now a days to say ohhhhhhhhhhhh hell noooooo..now girls go half way ...our men are beautiful and dont deserve half of what they get ..as much as you think you all that and a bag of chips hell there is one more beautiful WOMAN than you and beauty is not all that now a days ..count on more.......your beauty will get you ONE month and no place else...........THATS GREEK LIFE

I don't understand.